FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (F.E.R.P.A.)

Notice to Students

This is to inform students that Waynesburg University intends to comply fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This Act was designated to protect the privacy of educational records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. The rights to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Office of the Registrar (105 Miller Hall), written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the Office of the Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want to change, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or support staff position. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

4. FERPA also authorizes disclosure without consent of designated directory information. Waynesburg University designates the following information as directory information that is may disclose at its discretion: student’s name; address; telephone listing; electronic mail address; photograph; date and place of birth; major field of study; grade level; enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time); dates of attendance; participation of officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; degrees, honors and awards received, and the most recent educational agency or institution attended by the student. A parent or eligible student has the right to refuse to let Waynesburg University designate any or all of the aforementioned categories of information about the student as directory information. If a parent or eligible student would like to exercise this right, he/she must complete a Request for Non-Disclosure of Directory Information form and submit it to the Office of the University Registrar at any time during the student's enrollment.

5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Waynesburg University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office; U.S. Department of Education; 400 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20202.

Additional information on FERPA may be obtained through the Office of the Registrar, located on the first floor of Miller Hall, (724) 852-3252, or registrar@waynesburg.edu. Further details are also available in the Student Handbook, available in the Office of Student Services, located on the Third Floor of Stover Center.